Erie Planning Commission Study Session on Roles and Responsibilities – May 19, 2021

The Erie Planning Commission met on May 19, 2021, at 6:30 PM via virtual meeting to conduct a study session (Agenda Item 21-188) focused on defining potential additional responsibilities for the Planning Commission and preparing a proposal for the Board of Trustees. Commissioners reviewed current approval processes, examined other municipalities' practices, and discussed ways to streamline decision-making to relieve the Board of Trustees' workload. The meeting adjourned at 8:06 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda Approval: Commissioner Witt moved to approve the agenda, seconded by Commissioner Hoback. The motion carried unanimously (6-0).
• Minutes Approval: Commissioner Hoback moved to approve the May 5, 2021, meeting minutes, seconded by Commissioner Luthi. The motion carried unanimously (6-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the meeting.

Discussion Items

• Study Session on Planning Commission Role: Chair Zuniga introduced the study session to discuss a future joint meeting with the Board of Trustees. The commission aimed to present a concrete plan rather than an open-ended request for more duties.

  • Past Frustrations: Commissioners recalled instances where the Planning Commission felt powerless (e.g., a UDC amendment regarding pawn shops) and noted that recommendations could be ignored by developers or overturned by the Board of Trustees.
  • Current Authority: Planning Manager Deborah Bachelder outlined the existing approval process: the Planning Commission has final decision authority only on site plan reviews. Rezoning, preliminary plats, and special review uses require public hearings before both the Planning Commission (recommending) and the Board of Trustees (final decision). Annexation and initial zoning are solely under the Board of Trustees by state statute.
  • Comparison to Other Municipalities: Commissioner Sawusch presented research on Greeley’s Planning Commission, which has broader decision-making authority (e.g., final plat approval, subdivision control). Commissioners agreed that specific, measurable changes should be proposed rather than general “fluff.”
  • Potential Changes Discussed:
    • Making rezoning a final decision by the Planning Commission (with Board of Trustees as appellate body).
    • Giving the Planning Commission decision authority on preliminary plats or final plats to reduce dual hearings.
    • Conducting an annual review of alignment with the Comprehensive Plan goals.
  • Approach to Board of Trustees: Commissioners agreed to create a memo proposing specific items (e.g., rezoning, platting) after further research, framing it as a collaborative effort to streamline processes and reduce the Board’s workload—not as an ultimatum.

• Staff Reports:

  • Planning & Development Monthly Report – April: Deborah Bachelder provided an update on the Comprehensive Plan update and the DOLA grant. The town received $100,000 of the $200,000 requested; work cannot begin until the signed grant agreement is received (estimated mid-to-late July 2021). Commissioners were reminded to submit scoring sheets for the three comprehensive plan proposals by Sunday.

• Commissioner Reports & Discussion Items: No formal reports; the study session served as the main discussion.

Key Outcomes

• Decision: The Planning Commission agreed to develop a memo for the Board of Trustees proposing additional responsibilities. Commissioners will conduct individual research on specific, measurable items (e.g., rezoning, platting) and bring their findings to the next Planning Commission meeting for further refinement.
• Next Steps: The memorandum will be drafted collaboratively, reviewed by legal counsel, and then presented to the Board of Trustees to open a dialogue about streamlining approval processes. No formal vote was taken on the content of the memo; the consensus was to continue the iterative process.
• Grant Update: The DOLA grant of $100,000 (half the requested amount) was awarded; the start of the Comprehensive Plan consultant work will be delayed until late July 2021 due to contract execution requirements.